Bale tie



April 17, 1951 E. F. w. Kal-n., JR 2,549,206

BALE TIE Filed April l1, 1950 /7 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS l Patented Apr. 17, v1951 BALE TIE Ernest F. W. Keihl, Jr., Medina., N. Y., assignor of forty per cent to Eno Riemer, Medina, N. Y.

Application April 11, 195o, serial No. 155,326

4 claims. (c1. 24-21) l This application is a continuation, in part, of `my application, Serial No. 93,655, iiled May 17, 1949, entitled Bale Tie and now abandoned.

This invention relates `to a bale tie. The invention is an improvement on the bale tie of my Patent 2,223,109, November 26, 1940.

The prior art bale ties, including the bale tie in my aforesaid patent, are quite satisfactory in ,many respects. Nevertheless, there are certain inherent objections to such prior art bale ties. The prior art bale ties include generally a loop or eye at one end of the bale tie wire and a hook `formation at the other end of the wire and which hook is adapted to enter the eye or loop and become interengaged therewith when the tieis about the material to be baled. A primary objective in baling material that is more or less compressible, say for instance hay or cotton or the like, is to effect a tight baling of the matevrial and the prevention of the breaking of the ,interlocking connection between the loop and hook of the tie and, further, to prevent any acci- Adentalldisengagement of the hook from the loop or eye or vice versa. Any breaking of the tie at its loop and hook connection or between its ends or any accidental or unintentional disconnection of the loop from the hook or vice versa would, of course, result in spoilage or loss of the bale of material, Whatever it may be.

In the prior art bale ties of the aforesaid type, there have been occasions when the ties that were applied to bales of material such as hay or the like became accidentally or unintentionally disconnected or actually the ties became broken and, then too, with the prior art ties, the inherent construction of the same was such that a very tight baling of the compressible material or the like could not be elected and, if it was, the

ties became broken, distorted or disconnected.

It is with the aforesaid Vstate of the art in mind that I have improved the bale tie disclosed in my Patent 2,223,109, and the objections to the tie in that patent and others in the prior art, as stated supra, have now been overcome and Ihave produced in the present bale tie one that performs its function entirely satisfactorily as regards being incapable of accidental or unintentional release of the eye or loop and hook 01' breakage or distortion of the same and, yet, resulting in a tie that will effect a tighter or more compact maintenance of the baled material such as hay or other compressible material or produ cts. In my present bale tie, the hook end thereof consists generally of an elongated bill anda particularly and peculiarly formed strut structure overcome.

2 that is connected with the said bill and integral therewith. The throat and nose of the tie are connected with the strut structure and are integral with the said bill. The structure and arrangement of the said hook end of the bale, when properly associated with or secured to the loop at the other end of the bale wire, and particularly when the wire is under tension due to the `expansion of the baled material, serves, under such conditions, to effect an interconnecton of the loop and the hook which cannot possibly become accidentally or unintentionally disconnected or distorted or disassociated. The connectionV ofthe loop and the hook actually serves to more firmly and effectively lock the twotogether and, thus, the diliculties and obj ections to the prior art bale ties are vastly improved and Keeping in mind the foregoing and what is described and claimed hereinafter, it is an object of my invention to provide ya bale tie consisting of an elongated Wire with a loop or eye formation at one end thereof and a hook at theother end thereof adapted to interengage with the said loop or eye and the formation of the hook and its association and relationship with the loop or eye being such that any accidental or unintentional disconnection or distortion of the interlocked or interengaged elements is positively prevented and the material that is to be baled will be maintained in a tighter or more compressed condition than has been accomplished by the prior art bale ties.

Another object of my invention is to provide a particularly. and peculiarly shaped hook as an element of a bale tie that, when used in combination with Ia loop or eye of a bale tie, serves to positively effect an interlocking or" interengagement of the hook and eye and prevent breakage ordistortion of the VVsame when in use and 'to main-` tain the material that is compressed in a very compact condition. l

Another object of'my invention is to provide an improved bale tie including the loop or eye lat one end of the Wire of the bale tie and a peculiarly and particularly formed hook at the other end thereof,which hook` may be readily and easily engaged with the eye or loop, and will result in a tie about the bale that is extremely tight and, thus, will maintain the material inthe bale in the proper baled condition.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bale tie of the hook and loop type which, when the ends are intereng'aged or interlocked, and under tension due to the expansion of the material at the vhook end of the bale tie.

VVthat is baled, will, under such circumstances and conditions, result in a more effective interlockingl of the hook and loop and a tighter baling of the material and, further, any accidental disengagevmentor distortion of the interengaged or interlocked hook and loop of the tie will lbe prevented.

With the above and other objects inview, the invention consists in. the construction l.and novel combination` and arrangementvof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims` hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor detailsv of construction, within they' scope of,the claims, may be resorted to withoutY departing from the spirit o r sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. f

In the drawings: n Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the bale, tie with `the hook, andeye fully engaged but not tehsioed by. an ass'c'iatedlbale;

riep 2 is en eol 'treed viewer, thgnook'eod of 1 the bale tie sh'wiih Fig.` 3 0f ll'ny Patent 2,223,-

Fig. '7 is a front elevational view showing the tie shown This hook I5 is particularly and peculiarly formed in order to serve the purposes and functions hereinbefore and hereinafter set forth and it consists of an elongated bill I8 at one end thereof and a nose I9 at the other end thereof and an open throat 2U thereat. The particular formation of this hook is important and such formation includes the two overlapped and engaged portions of the wireZI and 22 which form the bill of the hook which has a slightly rounded estreme end portion 23 and, continuing rear` wardly from the overlapped and contacting por- A tions 2l and 22 and integral therewith, there are portions thereof 24 and 25 which similarly diverge rearwardly toward the nose and throat formation, and integral with these diverging portions, and at the upper part thereof, the nose'portion 26, which has a rounded end portion 2l' and an interior contacting portion 28 including the curved closed throat` end 29, with the otherl portion 32 which contacts the interior of an extension 3L coinpletes the throat formation and the Vnose 'forma'- tion of the inner end of the hook. i

It is to be distinctlynoted thatfthe entire 'bill portion I3 is directed slightly downwardly from the horizontal when viewed infside elevatiolifor a purpose later named and that the portions llli and v8 which form` the nose and a part of the throat 2U are vparallel to eachother andjsub's aritially straight as are the portions 30h and tjtwhich complete the throat end formationjof the hook and, of course, the overlapped `joortioris, l2|l fand v 22 are likewise parallel withjeach `other whereas manner of insertion nof the hook 'into the loop or eye end ofthetiegand .,V i L l 5 D Y Fig,.,8 isa vie t Vilar to Fig.y 1 showing the loopabout to venter the throat of the hook end oftheloele tie. l

,i rrhe inveotiooi'will oeiiiore readily understood byv referring to the. drawing`s `in detail wherein liltereferenze numerals inthe several :figures of thedrawingskall denotethesamevparts. y i

The bale; tieKY consists of a length of wire, as

usual, which Yincludes the loop end thereof Sand theV hook enudtl'ierelofH IIL* Theloop II at theend .Q of-.the wireis generally ovate and is formed thereat by iritertwistne ,the ,extreme freeler@ 2 with about ve tight twists I3 and with this `eX- treme free, end,L being very short and in contact with a short length of the loop end 9 adjacentthe said twist andA parallel with a bottom portion thereof when 1 viewed lin side elevationr This twisted end constitutesarshank portion ati-,he loop end of the vbale tie. The loop VI I is inhthe same general plane'as the twisted B Dfgf thevb'ale tie when/.viewedgin' side elevation. `The side por'- tion of the very first twist I4, immediately at the juncture wheregtheiloop II` is formed andalong Awith an adjacent end portion of the loop, lprovides a seat 'servinglan important function `laterrde-` Y scribed 'andreferredto herein. y

The hook generally denoted et isis, ofcourse,

the portions 24 and 25, which diverge "outwardly, are also 'inj a straight line formation even though they diverge from eachother andi form ,rtliere be'tweenand with thefclosed. endfZQ a 'substaiie tially triangular shaped jopening OA which directly in the rear of the throat and in advance, of course, of the bill formation I8. Ali of the portions or parts'of theho'ok when viewed'either in Vplan or in side elevation are in the'isaine plane as will be clearly evidencedby 'Fig'. 5'of ythe draws ings, Y

i The point'32 of thebi'ght of thenos'e I9 is` dis'- posed directly above the recessed seat 13,3 thatis formed by the fir'sttwistior intertwisting'of the end of the Wire `I'IV with the enel portion off the bale tie as shown inligg By theparticula'r disposition of the bightportion-azof the oosejbeing directly opposite the reees's "33 formed byth first twist of the s'ai'd 'wire,there is oim'edin'ean's that constitute what term the iirst'lockingv condition or position'of the end portion 3 Ilof the loop witllrthe hook` as cl'early'denoted ijn Eig. 4. I also provide a seoondlocki'rig 'oo'ndition'of the nook within the throat 2t as denoted Ioy the points 35 and V36, which points of locking being her il" after more folly reo-ities. rlie entire throat iin cludingthe rear interior closed portion thereof,

l is denoted' at T. l

VThehook end of fthebaletief 'as shown'inliig; '2 of the drawingsis'prior artahd actually 'areproduction' of thev hook, end' of Fig. inirfy` said Patent j2,22,3,l0 9,fand the purpose of, showing this vpatented hooi: "structureherein to enable my present hookv 'end 'of tlfle'baleV tie 'to be more clearly ldistinguished"and defined thereover.` 'n the patented hook structure, 'as "shown inrFig. '2, it will be noted that 'the overlapp'edends 4oi" the bill 31 and38, Whenviewed in side elevation, 'are substantially 'horizontally disposed as distinguished. from the downward `disposition ofA v't'lie bill I8 inmy present bale hook structure, Morel over," it "is to -benoted' that, inthe pateo'tedfhook structure in Fig. 2, at the juncture 39 where the bill structure emerges into the nose structure 40, the wire is somewhat depressed. In such a patented structure, as shown in Fig. 2, and when force is exerted on the bill structure thereof, the bill structure tends to 'bend at the said juncture 39, under said'conditions of tension and the'hook structure, therefore', is thus deformed and, under such circumstances and conditions, will be unintentionally and accidentally disconnected from the loop or eye end of the bale tie. My present hook structure, as embodied in this application, overcomes the objections to the bending and adds favorable functions that cannot possibly be attained in the use of the hook structure in my said baleV tie prior patentand other prior art patents and as hereinafter more fully described. It will be noted that the extreme bight portion 4I of the patented hook shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings is not disposed directly above or opposite the recess 42 of the rst twist of the wire adjacent the hook end as distinguished from the direct opposition or vertical alignment of these two points 32 `and 33 as shown in my improved hook structure embodied in this application and, additionally, the downward disposition of the bill I8 of the improved hook structure in the app1ication differs from my patented structure and functions entirely differently and more efficiently than the patented hook structure.

In Fig. l of the drawings, I have disclosed the hook and loop end of the bale tie in fully interengaged or interlocked condition but not tensioned by an associated bale. This illustration was chosen to clearly indicate the obtuse angle relationship of the hook end l of the bale wire with respect to the horizontally disposed loop or eye end 9 of the bale tie. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the underside 43 of the bight portion of the bill I8 rests in the seat that is effected by the first twist of the wire denoted at I4 and an adjacent portion of the loop and that a portion of this nose is, when viewed in front elevation, disposed in front of the said first twist of the wire and in the seat at one side thereof as clearly seen in Fig. 1 and, as a consequence, the entire hook I5 will be canted slightly out of horizontal relationship with respect to the bale tie as a whole as denoted in Fig. 5 of the drawing. In other words, the bill formation I8 being positioned in or on the said seat results in shifting the hook laterally to one side of the twisted formation of the end portion of the loop end 9 of the bale tie wire. In Fig. 1, the end 34 of the loop II is seated fully within the throat T and engages the closed end wall therein and, in this position of the loop with respect to the throat of the hook, these two elements are in their completed or final interlocking or interengaging relationship with each other.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, the extreme end 34 of the loop II is shown in its rst interengaging or interlocking relationship with the mouth of the hook I5 and it will be noted that this end portion 34 of the loop or eye is gripped at the point 32 of the bight of the nose which rounds into the interior of the mouth of the hook at the top thereof and thatasubstantially diametrically oppositely disposed part `of the loop end 34 is firmly seated in the recessed seat 33 caused or effected by the Y rst said twist of the wire adjacent the hook at the upper portion thereof. When this end 34 of the loop II is in the position as shown in Fig. 4, naturally the bill end formation I8 of the hook will overlap several of the twists at the end of the loop end 9 of the bale wire and it will be noted 6 that the said ends of the bale wire carryingthe loop and hook formation respectively thereonare separately disposed outwardly or above the top 44 of the bale of preferably compressible material such as hay orthe like B which enables the hook I5 to be easily and readily inserted through the loop or eye II and which hook is? shown partially inserted through the said loop in Fig. 7 of the drawings. It is simply necessary to cant the respective ends of the bale tie with the loop and hook thereon and the entire hook I5 can then be easily threaded or slipped through the loop and, with a slight pull of the loop end, theextreme end portion 34 thereof will be'placed or brought into the rst locking' position or con- Y dition as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It is understood that, when the bale tie is applied as in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the material B is under compression and hence the ends of the bale tie may be lifted outwardly therefrom' in order to effect the first interlocking or interengaging condition or position of the elements as shown in Fig. 4 and, when such condition or position of the said elements has been attained, and the compressed material of the bale B isreleased, the said material will then immediately expand and the end 34 of the loop will then be brought into Y engagement with the closed end 29 of the throat T as shown in Fig. 6 and the bill I8 of the hook will have its bottom portion thereof 43fseated in the seat that is provided by the first twist of the wire at the end adjacent the loop thereat and that the hook generally will be canted slightly out of horizontal by reason of this association of the bill end of the hook with the first twist in the loop or eye end of the bale wire. Thus, it will be seen that the hook end IIJ of the bale wire, from its original obtuse angled relationship with -the end S'thereof, will, from that relationship, and when in the first locking position, assume the angled relationship as shown in Fig. 4 and, in the second or nal interlocking or interengagement of the loop with the hook end of the bale wire, this end I0 of the bale wire will be brought almost into substantial horizontal alignment with the end 9 thereof. Thus, under these circumstances, and where the bale wire and the hook and loop connection are under considerable tension, force' will be exerted on the bill end 43 where it engages in the seat through the inclined portion 24 of the hook and to the said nose portion I9 thereof, and actually at least slightly move the nose portion downwardly and thus form a positive interlocking or interengagement of the loop with the hook end of the bale. Additionally, the pressure that is exerted by the end 34 against the closed throat 29 of the hook will, likewise, transmit force through the straight portions 26 and 28 ofthe nose to tend to close the throat opening 29 and further prevent any accidental disassociation of the loop or eye from the hook.

It will be clear that the outward force exerted by the bale material B will tend to force both` the twisted ends with the loop `and hook thereon outwardly and, as the bill of the hook is dis? posed at the first twist of the wire in the seat at the loop end 9 of the bale tie, there is a conof the baled material forces `the Vstraight arms 30, 3| toward the nose portion.

i' The inclined portions 24' and 2s'- aothe' closed end portion 29` ofthe throat. may be s'aid to constitute a. strutY structure whereby' the' entire' hook formation is" stabilized and, as theseforrnations 24Qnd' 25` are straight` s`o to speak, 'any force thatiislexerted thereonk by' thebill or any1V other portion of' thief nook, rather than tending toY bend the bnr of .trie nook or other part thereof, winne 'transitiittedV to the noseformatio'ri to actuary slightly forte this-nose formation downwardly when viewed 'as innig; 6,*to effectively holo or maintain trieend oftn loop thereinV and prevent an'y accidental f displacement therefrom. This strut structure also reinforces the elongated;

l 'downwardly'dspo'sed bill 6nd 'portion 0f the hook and' prevents" any' accidental bending up'- W'' or ldoWIWald thereof, Due to the straight alig nient/'fof tlkewstrut si'}1"'lJ.cl",l1e,Y including the portions 2'4" ano 25 of the noonanyupward or downward' bending of theelllg'ated' bill i8 there'- of i's'postvelyV prevented. When the endY 36? of the. loop I lfi's in full interlocking or interengaging relationship Withfthe hook, as shown in Fig.

6, and whenthe tie is under tension, there will beY a tendency to force the bill portion I8 of theV hook downwardly, but bending of the same is 'prevented and thus insuring at all times the proper locking together of theloop and hook and, l

further-[with the change of the throat of the hook in the presentapplication, when severe tension takes place, this Valso draws down the nose ofthe hook to prevent any accidental disengagement of the loop from the hook or vice versa.

Due tothe particular shapeiof the hook, the

operator can readily insert the same in andl through the loop ata much greaterangle than the prior art affords;V and, therefore, effect a much tighter baling of the material. Furthermore; due.

to the shape ofthe hook, the operator can shove? ofthe opposite ends of the wires l2 and il being inengagement with the bale wire, preferably at the bottom thereof `when viewed in side elevation,

prevents any tangling ofthe bale ties and the hook or loop formations thereof when the same are in a bundle and when the individual bale ties arewithdrawn from the bundle. v t

Briefly, the loop and hook ends of myV bale tie are brought together by interengaging the same. by threading or slipping the hook throughV the loop as partially depicted in Fig. '7, and then the twisted'ends are Vbrought into substantially ,the position las' shown in Fig. 8 withV the extreme end portion 34* thereofY resting right in the entrance ofthe throat of the hook but not locked therein or interlocked therewith and, from this initial position, the extreme 'end 34 of the loop is drawn or pulled into the rst locking position `as denoted in Fig. 4 of the drawings and then pastthe second locking position or condition de' noted at opposite points 35 and 36 in Fig. 6. Finally, the loop, due to expansion of the material being baled,or bybeing manually pulled, has

tl :1 e eg trerne end portion kthereof disposed against.

and in contact with theyclosed end- 29 -of-the throat of the hook and, when in such position shank' portions at itsr ends and terminating in a loop'w'itli an opening therein at one endfthere of and a'n upwardly extending hook at the ope-. posite end thereof, the first twist portion of the wire adjacent the loop being inclined down-V wardly and rearwardly from the top and at one side ofthe wire and with a portionof, the loop at said one side of the wire constitutingY a seat, the hook including an elongated bill portion" 4consisting of parallel wire portionsl disposed at an obtuse angle with respect tothe horizontal disposition of the wire extending from the hook, which parallel wire portions terminate in parallel wire portions lthat constitute a'throat `forming saldhool'; and which has an open end and a closed end, the open end of the threat being of slightly lesser dimensions than the cross:

sectional' dimension of the wire loep, so that when the 'loop is disposed inthe throat in the absence of pressure and/or tension the hook end of' the bale wire is at an obtuse angle with resr ct to the loop end of the bale wire, and when under pressure and/or tension the said hook and loop ends of the tie are brought into sub,- stantial horizontal alignment with the bill portion ofthe hook resting in the said seat ad jacent the loop and serving to apply force tov the throat portion of the hook. Y

2. A wire bale tie as defined in and by claim -1 wherein the hook includes a nose structure have ing a bight portion and theopen end of the throat is defined by the bight portion of the nosestructure thereof, theflrst twist of the wire of the rshank of the hook forming a recessed seat onthetop thereof which is in spaced alignment with the bight pcrtion'of the nose structure', the

dimensions of the opening that is defined by the ing condition constituting a second locking con. Y

ditionrfor the loop so that when pressure and/or tension is exerted on the bale tie the loop en, gages inthe first locking condition and lis held and dueto additional pressure and/or 'tension the loop will engage' in the second locking. condition of the hook.

3. A bale tie comprising a wire having twistedy shank portions at its ends and' terminating' in a loop with an opening therein at one end thereof l and an upwardly extending hook at the opposite end thereon: the Yfirst twist portion of the Wire adjacent the loop being inclined downwardly and rearwardly from the top and at one side of the wire and with a portion of the loop at said one side of rthe wire constituting a seat, the hook" including an elongated bill portion consisting of parallel Wire portions disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the horizontal disposition ofl the wire extending from the hook, which parallel., para portions 'terminate in parallel wire portions that constitute a throat forming said hook and which has an open end and a closed end, the open end of the throat being of slightly lesser dimensions than the cross-sectional dimension of the wire loop, the closed end being disposed toward said bill and in alignment therewith, the cross-sectional width of the said throat formation of the hook being substantially greater than the cross-sectional width of the said bill, the length of the bill portion of the hook including the closed end portion of the throat being greater than the opening in the loop, so that when the loop is disposed in the throat in the absence or" pressure and/or tension the hookend of the bale wire is at an obtuse angle with respect to the loop end of the bale wire, and when under pressure and/or tension the said hook and loop ends of the tie rare brought into substantial horizontal alignment with the bill portion of the hook resting in the said seat adjacent the loop and serving to apply force to the throat portion of the hook.

4. A wire bale tie as dened in and by claim 3 whereinthe hook includes a nose structure having a bight portion and the open end ofV the throat is defined by the bight portion of the nose structure thereof, the rst twist of the wire of the shank of the hook forming a recessed seat on the top thereof which is in spaced alignment with the bight portion of the nose structure, the dimensions of the opening that is defined by the bight portion o the nose structure and the recessed 'seat being slightly less than the cross-sectional dimension of the wire loop and constitutinga first locking condition for the loop, the throat structure inwardly o the iirst .locking condition constituting a second locking condition for the loop so that when pressure and/or tension is exerted on the bale tie the loop engages in theirst locking condition and is held and due to additional pressure and/or tension the loop will engage in the second locking oo ndition of the hook.

ERNEST F. W. KEIHL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

Keihl, Jr Nov. 26,1940 

